Improvement in packing journals, anb other parts of machinery



Letters Patent N 0. 101,394, dated March 29, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN PACKING- J'OURNALS, AND OTHER PARTS'OF MACHINERY.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of thesame To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHASE A. S'ruvnss, of the city and State ot'NewYork, but at present doing business at Boston, in the county of Suffolk,and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and improved Materialfor Packing for Journals and other parts of Machinery; and 1 do herebydeclare the following to be full, clear, and exact description thereof,which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same.

This invention relates. -to packingmade from pure asbestos, amianthus,or other. fibrous mineral. in carrying out my invention I subject crudeasbestos or other fibrous mineral to treatment with suitable acids, orother means, so as to disintegrate and bring it to a afibrous condition,aitcr which I subject it to the operation of pickiugK-by suitablemachinery, similar to the operation of picking cotton and wool, wherebyI bring it ro a fine, flexible, and loose or fiocky condition. 111 thisstate the asbestos, or other fibrous minerals, is suitable tbrpackiugjournal-boxes of car-axles and bearings of heavy shal'ting, and whereverloose packing can be used.

Such fibrous minerals possess in themselves lubricating qualitieswhich-enables me to dispense, in some (gases, with the use ofoil with mypacking, but it can be used with or without the addition of oil or otherlubricators. When additional lubrication is preferred .1 saturate theasbestos, and other fibrous minerals, with suitable oils, such, iorexample, as lard-oil, but use much less in quantity than is common withcotton-waste packing.

Said packing is a poor conductor of heat and electricity, and does notpromote the generation of heat like cotton or other vegetable packing inthe presence of oil; it is at the same time a better absorbent ofdurable to a high degree, and is not combustible at a temperature belowabout two thousand degrees.

In order to apply my asbestos or other mineralpackiug to piston-rods,and other parts of machinery where rope packing is desired, I take thepure asbestos or other fibrous mineral in its flocky condition, and formstrands or ropes by combining it with a central cord of twine, or othermaterial which has suflicient tensile 1 strength for the purposerequired, securing the asbesanimal or vegetable fibers which are woundaround the mass, and arranged so as to be concealed and protectedmineral fibers which preserve them from being burnt or destroyed by heator friction.

My asbestos or mineral-rope packing above described can be made by bandor by mael-iinery, and of any desired thickness, and several strandsthereof can be combined together tofin'm thicker ropes or strands.

of steam-engines and pumps, and for valves and other articles, and thesame can be used without other lubrication, the lubricating quality ofsaid asbestos or other fibrous mineral being in such case suflicient forthe purpose.

I do not wish to confine myself to any particular shape of my ropepacking, as can make the same flat as well as round, or of other forms.My mineralrope packing thus made has sufficient compactness and strengthto bear handling, and to endure any ordinary strain to which it may besubjected when applied to use.

\Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A rope packing. made of loose fibers of asbestos or other fibrousmineral combined with a eut-ral cord substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

2. The combination of asbestos or other fibrous mineral with a centralcord and with binding-threads, substantially as described.

CHASE A. STEVENS.

\Vitnesscs W. HAUFF,

E. F. KASTENHUBER.

tos fibers around the same with bimling-threads 0t -to as great a degreeas possible by the-overlapping- My rope packing is applicable forpacking pistons

